Escorted by an army of bodyguards, the anonymous man approached the group of U.S. pilots who brought the plane to Russia and told them that he wanted to buy the 185ft-wingspan 8-engine aircraft straight away.

According to a reporter from the Komsomolskaya Pravda, Russian's largest newspaper, one of the members from the american group told the man that the strategic bomber was not for sale. However, if it were, the price would have been $500,000,000 "on the spot."

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His answer: "That is no problem. It is such a cool machine." And indeed it is, matey, especially if you want to deliver atomic bombs —or ride them wearing a cowboy hat.